Wednesday, March 6, 2013

NY1 tackles Jamaica garbage problem

It's unsightly, but not uncommon to see garbage piled high in and around 107th Avenue near Sutphin Boulevard.

"Every time I see this it makes me more and more frustrated," one resident said.

The area is littered with tires, mattresses and all other types of trash.

Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) said the residents are ultimately to blame.

"These are people from our community dumping," Wills said.

The dumping started more than a decade ago in abandoned lots, but it got significantly worse during the recent economic downturn, when Jamaica became the epicenter of the city's growing number of housing foreclosures.

People now litter and drop garbage on the streets and sidewalks as well as the numerous vacant lots. Some residents say the problem is spreading to other areas with very little crackdown from the Department of Sanitation.

The department has said that it is doing its part to maintain the area.

But longtime residents who have been meeting informally to try to find solutions to the problem said not enough is being done.

the fact of the matter is this is EXACTLY the type of element that the local political talent WANTS in Queens.

If the city wanted to do something about this, it could .... easily. Parts of Manhattan used to look like this not long ago.

They powers that be can control these people easily, they are all but assured of reelection, and this is a form of urban renewal. You are cleaning out these communities for development in a few decades.

Slobs and their dreadful behavior are inevitable in lower socio economic neighborhoods. I am simply astounded by the fact that on a daily basis I read about the trials and tribulations of Queens residents. I fled NYC after I retired. I am astounded that so many people stay yet they continue to bitch and whine. You know folks there are 49 other states, pick one already. Long live Queens Crapper! Long live my amazing NYC teacher's pension! Death to the Palestinians!

Certainly there are local residents that contribute to the problem but what isn't mentioned here is the dumping of contractors.

They'll drive around with a van of construction/demolition waste and find a vacant lot, a less visible area or a messy part of a street and then drop their load.

I've seen this happen in my neighborhood. Unfortunately I wasn't close enough to get a plate number before they drove away.

One thing that could be done in remote areas is have security cameras mounted in known dumping locations

As far as less remote, more lived-in locations go, the thing I've noticed is not only that garbage attracts garbage BUT initiative attracts initiative.

I've cleaned up parts of my neighborhood that aren't even near my house. After having done so consistently for a few weeks, I saw other people doing the same. One person even came out to talk to me and said seeing me pick up in front of her house made her guilty so she started doing it herself.

Yeah, the city should do a better job at cleaning up and penalizing offenders. But that's not going to change anytime soon. That's why I do what I can.

I don't like having to pick up after pigs but I cannot STAND having to look at their mess.

I'm glad that they are trying to do something. I've recently seen the garbage trucks come to clean the vacant lots. Maybe if they added trash cans on every corner this will help with the problem, but I fear the nasty people who litter will still continue what they're doing. I've just recently moved to this neighborhood from Brooklyn. My block looked clean at least the first month. Unfortunately it didn't take long for the people to start littering again and it has to be the the residents. I mean who walks around with mattresses and box springs. It's sad that people don't care about how their neighborhood looks. Since I've moved here I've seen food wrappers, mattresses,cake boxes, large drink bottles etc. all over the ground on the chronic littering level. It's not that hard if you're eating outside while walking to just wait until you find a garbage can. Even after cleaning in front of my yard the people still continue to drop their liquor bottles as if they can't stand to see someone have a clean property. Just recently when it snowed a couple of inches I shoveled a pathway and instead of dropping the bottles to the side they were neighborly enough to drop it in the path I cleared. I guess I was supposed to clear the broken glass they left too. Today is recycling and garbage day. Last night someone snuck into my yard and left a huge metal bin with all types of random garbage. At this point I feel as if this is personal because now they're trespassing. It's real sad and disappointing!

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